Sketching is a major activity in the play regime as well as in the education of children. Some children develop artistic talents at an early age while others may never attain a facility for drawing. There are a number of drawing aids on the market which help children to draw pretty pictures and designs. Some of these are marketed as toys although their potential benefits extend beyond the realm of playthings. For example, Binney and Smith (Easton, Pennsylvania) and AMAV Industries (Montreal, Canada) market stencils that can be used to guide a pencil or pen in drawing predetermined designs. The well known toy sold under the Trademark Spirograph.RTM. by Kenner Products (Cincinnati, Ohio) allows a wide range of predetermined designs to be produced.
Another simple way for producing pleasant designs is by means of a kaleidoscope. However, in this case the designs have only an ephemeral existence and appear only as virtual images rather than as concrete drawings.